A war hero remembers
Town falls silent to remember
Veteran Jimmy Ingram, 91, leans forward and gently lays a wreath at East Kilbride Cenotaph as the town paid tribute to the war dead at the weekend.
A service was held at the Graham Avenue memorial following a parade along the town’s Old Coach Road on Sunday morning.
Remembance events have taken place across East Kilbride and Avondale. Lest We Forget.
A mum with a pushchair stopped on the icy path and pointed her tot in the direction of the men and women assembling for the Remembrance Day parade.
On the other side of the street, a grandad jokingly jigged with his granddaughter, both proudly wearing poppies, while East Kilbride Pipe Band rehearsed in the Legion Scotland car park.
Legion Scotland’s East Kilbride branch vice-chair Bobby Russell went through protocol one last time with the flag bearers as members of the public gathered together with armed forces personnel, ex-services organisations, local dignitaries and uniformed youth organisations to honour the men and women lost in conflicts and those still bearing the scars of war.
The weather put on its Sunday best as East Kilbride remembered the fallen. Although a little nippy, the skies were blue and the sunshine bright.
“I was worried it was going to rain,” remarked Bobby.
At 10.30am, the pipe band led the parade out onto Old Coach Road. Cars stopped as the parade began its journey to the Cenotaph.
A toddler out for a walk with her dad was wide-eyed, captivated, as the parade marched past.
Young and old alike stopped to view proceedings. For some, events would have felt more personal but everyone was keen to pay their own tribute.
The turnout was described as “brilliant” by Bobby and those in attendance arrived at the Graham Avenue war memorial bearing the names of those who perished in the first and second world wars.
Rev Stewart Smith from East Kilbride Old Parish Church conducted the service while people stood in solemn silence.
The Last Post was played before a two-minute silence was observed.
The Reveille was sounded with Rev Smith inviting East Kilbride councillor David Watson to lay a wreath on behalf of the people of South Lanarkshire.
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MP Dr Lisa Cameron and East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani led a further 24 individuals and organisations who laid wreaths as a cold wind blew autumn leaves from trees overlooking the Cenotaph.
The words of For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon were spoken by Eddie Hayes, chairman of Legion Scotland’s East Kilbride branch.
“It’s good to see that so many people are still interested and come down to show face,” he said.
Every Remembrance Day is poignant but there will be an extra significance at next year’s services which mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
Those who gathered quietly made their way back to Old Coach Road. Remembrance services were taking place across the region throughout the day.
In the morning and at the going down of the sun, South Lanarkshire was remembering them.
Young and old alike stopped to view proceedings...